Date/Time
Date(s) - 07/24/2021
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Categories
On Saturday, July 24th, Evelyn is doing a Challah prep on Zoom for TAO. We are asking that people get the ingredients and have them measured out and ready to go when the program starts. The ingredients list below is for regular challah; a gluten-free list is forthcoming. Please direct questions to Nira, Renee or Evelyn.
INGREDIENTS (regular)
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups unbleached bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- GLAZE – 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place water, yeast, sugar, honey, salt in a big bowl.
- Allow yeast about 10 minutes to proof. (foam)
- Add eggs and oil and mix well.
- Add Flour all at once and mix with hands or large fork until dough forms.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and firm.
- Place dough into a large oiled bowl covered with a towel or plastic bag sprayed with Pam. Allow to rise until dough is tripled in size (1 to 2 hours)
- Turn out onto floured surface, remove a piece of dough, the size of a quarter. Recite the following bracha (blessing) just prior to separating the challah:
Prayer: BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM A-SHER KID-SHA-NU B’MITZ-VO-TAV V’TZI-VA-NU L’HAF-RISH CHAL-LAH
Translation: Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to separate challah.
- The separate piece should be burned prior to baking the challah until it is charred on the outside, then wrapped in cellophane and discarded.
- Next step: divide the dough into pieces, the number depending on what kind of braid you want to make. You may braid the challah the traditional way, into a three-strand braid, or 4 strand or 6 strand.
- Gently pick up the braided loaf, and place it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let it rise until it’s very puffy, 90 minutes to 2 hours at cool room temperature. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- To make the glaze: Whisk together egg and water. Brush the glaze over the risen loaf.
Gluten-Free Challah Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup honey (85 grams)
2 eggs (egg-free version: 2 tbsp. flax seeds blended with 6 tbsp warm water until frothy)
1/4 cup (50 grams) grapeseed or other vegetable oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp psyllium husk powder psyllium husk powder
1 tsp xanthan gum xanthan gum
150 grams tapioca starch/ flour
200 grams gluten free oat our (many brands available, including Bob’s Red Mill and Cream Hill Estates)
45 grams sorghum flour
30 grams rice flour
Directions
Place the yeast and honey in the bottom of the bowl. Cover with the warm water and whisk for
30 seconds to dissolve the yeast.
Let the yeast foam and bubble for a few minutes. Mix in wet ingredients first (eggs, oil, vinegar)
and then add the flours, salt, and xanthan gum and psyllium husks. Mix well. Add raisins if you
like. Pour into a lightly oiled 9×5 loaf pan and smooth the top. Cover with a clean dishtowel and
let rise for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
15 minutes before it’s finished rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dishtowel
and bake until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes out of the
oven in the pan before removing. Turn it out onto a cooling rack and let cool 30 minutes before
slicing.
Gluten-free bread dough is usually a similar texture to cake batter, which is not braidable. I have
this braided loaf pan to trick people into thinking I braided this challah. But any loaf pan will do!
*Note: There are some celiac who cannot digest oats, celiac who cannot digest oats, so I realize
this recipe will not work for those folks.
